Only 3 of these exist. Once they're gone, they're gone - this design will not be repeated.
Handwoven abaca ikat cloth from the Blaan people of Lake Sebu and Polomolok, South Cotabato, Mindanao - the sister dreamweaving tradition to the better-known T'nalak, and just as rare.
Around Lake Sebu, the Blaan (also spelled B'laan or Bilaan) share the mountains and the abaca fields with their T'boli neighbors - and they share the title of "dreamweaver" too. In Blaan tradition, the art of weaving abaca fiber is called mabal, and the finished ikat-dyed cloth it produces is called tabih. Long before it reached a marketplace, tabih was worn as a woman's tubular skirt and a man's vest or trousers, and it was carried into weddings, births, and even used to settle disputes between clans as a form of currency and diplomacy.
Like T'nalak, a Blaan design is never simply invented - it's received. Weavers say their patterns come from dreams sent by the l'nilong, nature-guardian spirits, and a weaver must complete quiet rituals and observe abstinence before she's trusted to bring a new design into thread. The Blaan don't even use a spinning wheel: every strand of abaca fiber is joined by hand before it ever reaches the loom.
The last true master of this ikat art, Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo, wove for nearly a century - starting at age 12 - before her passing in 2021 at 106. In 2017 she was honored as a Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, a Philippine National Living Treasure, for keeping mabal tabih alive. Her descendants and a handful of remaining weavers in Lamlifew and Polomolok now carry the tradition forward, one of the rarest surviving textile arts in Mindanao.
The colors are entirely drawn from the forest: deep black comes from kanalum leaves boiled for days, red from the roots of the loko tree, and the natural cream-white is simply undyed abaca - never chemically treated. Preparing the loom is a community effort, but designing the resist-dye pattern is entrusted to a single master weaver alone, a process that can take months for a single length of cloth.
This bag is built around a genuine hand-loomed piece of that tabih cloth - only three exist, and once they're gone, this design won't be repeated. Each panel carries the individual variation, tension, and character of hand weaving, so no two bags are identical; that's not a flaw, it's the proof of the hands that made it.
Construction & specs:
- Genuine handwoven Blaan tabih abaca cloth panel, backed with rugged black ballistic nylon
- 7" diameter x 29" length - fits a standard or extra-long yoga mat
- Adjustable 2.25" shoulder strap with 1" adjustable webbing buckle
- Water-resistant navy 500D nylon interior lining
- Exterior zip pocket: 8" x 4" x 2" (keys, phone, cards)
- Interior zip pocket: approx. 9" x 5" (wallet, small accessories)
- Smooth-gliding YKK racquet-coil zippers throughout
Bonus: Room for a pair of 28" kali/arnis sticks too - a nice extra for training on the go. The interior lining adds a layer of protection, and as with any handwoven piece, the abaca exterior will develop natural character and patina with use over time.
Limited edition - only 3 made, one-time design, will not be restocked. Sources: Wikipedia, GRID Magazine, Narra Studio.